Paper The Operator
Solemn Boyz EP
Viper Bite
I get it. I really do. The reason that the average music fan pays no attention to the opinions of most middling music critics is that those critics place innumerable and often impossible artistic hurdles in front of a band in order to deem them worthy of a favorable review. Thus, accessibility is very important for any young, up-and-coming band because, once their music is relegated to the artsy and pretentious stack, it’s difficult for them to gain any sort of larger popular acclaim. And while being loved by the masses doesn’t have to be the ultimate goal for a band, it doesn’t really hurt either.
So, forgive me when I don’t shower Paper The Operator and their Solemn Boyz EP with the highest praise, because it’s kinda not their fault. This Pennsylvania four-piece has put together six pop-punk-meets-emo-rock tracks brimming with youthful energy, great production, and insightful lyrics, but they haven’t brought anything really new and interesting to the table. While my mind’s eye captures a club full of young fans singing along with the band at the top of their lungs, it doesn’t mean that their music is all that special. Yes, it’s accessible; yes, it’s fun, upbeat, and catchy; and no, I’m not being a cranky critic, but my primary issue with this little record is that it’s attractive to a very narrow section of the music-listening demographic. The Solemn Boyz EP finds Paper The Operator creating appealing, but not very transcendent, ditties in the vein of Jimmy Eat World and like-minded acts, and though there’s nothing wrong with that, that accessibility could prove to be quite limiting.
December 5th, 2008 08:04
March 11th, 2010 07:04